Larry Williams Article in JS

[Gato78]

I will say this again: universities are odd places, not run like businesses. Faculty may be bitching like hell about the money going to athletics and may have the President's ear. Nothing surprises me. God only knows who got rid of Cottingham. Kliehban built this university with and for Fr. Wild, taking MU to unscaled heights and he is gone too. Remember, the Athletic Board hired Bob Dukiet because he was a basketball coach who played the piano and was endorsed by Billy Packer. I do not expect good business decisions from MU, though I am, at times, surprised.

[Goose85]

Hopefully Buzz and Fr. Pilarz have a good relationship. I think that is the most important, right behind Dick Strong of course.

[Hamostradamus]

I will say this again: universities are odd places, not run like businesses.

I have represented some folks in an academic setting...Gato, you are underselling it. Universities are unbelievably odd places. Arguments and turf wars that don't exist anywhere else are fought tooth-and-nail in Universities. That's why I never expect really smart decisions, and am pleasantly surprised when I see them. The only good thing is that the boosters ultimately drive the bus, which should help in this regard. At other universities, powerful boosters get good coaches fired.

[Gato78]

I am worried about this...I am a Marquette fan, I am supposed to be worried. I was concerned at the Senior Day ceremony as Buzz and Fr. Pilarz greeted each other warmly where Buzz and Larry was not the same. Don Walker article shows up the next day. I sure as hell hope there is nothing to this and that Buzz won't be listening to other offers but I have this feeling we may be back in the Buzz to....(name the school)......

[MUAlphaBangura]

I know for fact that Father Pilarz has heard from many people their concerns about the basketball program--kind of kid recruited,worries about graduation rates, transfers, problems with the student athletes getting in trouble, etc. Very concerned that Pilarz doesn't get it. LW's initial impression does not make me feel any better.

[TedBaxter]

I know Bob Dukiet is the late Bob Dukiet, but Mike Deane is still out there.

[Goose85]

I know for fact that Father Pilarz has heard from many people their concerns about the basketball program--kind of kid recruited,worries about graduation rates, transfers, problems with the student athletes getting in trouble, etc. Very concerned that Pilarz doesn't get it. LW's initial impression does not make me feel any better.

Hopefully he has the wisdom that Fr. Wild had in making sure the basketball program was taken care of. Pilarz and Williams better not mess with Buzz and the hoops program (obviously making sure we are clean is important) as that is what has driven so much positive at the University in the last 10 years.

[Goose85]

The more I hear, the more it sounds like Larry Williams doesn't get it. Who the hell does he think he is? He should be kissing Buzz's backside. Maybe he likes being the AD in conferences like the West Coast conference, because if you are the reason a guy like Buzz leaves, that will be your next stop.

Larry Williams won't last long if he is the guy that gets Buzz to go from "you don't mess with happy" to sure, I'd be interested in the "name that school" job in less than a few months.

[IWB]

I know for fact that Father Pilarz has heard from many people their concerns about the basketball program--kind of kid recruited,worries about graduation rates, transfers, problems with the student athletes getting in trouble, etc. Very concerned that Pilarz doesn't get it. LW's initial impression does not make me feel any better.

Good point Alpha, and this is something that really bothers me. Not long ago, I had someone who I would consider on the high end of the booster chain ask me about recruiting, and he added his concern over the Jucos. I wouldn't think I would ever have to go over all of this again, but here goes..... I will start with the "kind of kids", meaning Jucos.

Jucos:
Jae Crowder - He had the grades, but went Juco because no one recruited him.
DJO - The NCAA challenged his transcripts. He won the challenge, meaning he should have qualified out of high school, but because the NCAA took so long in their investigation (fall sports take priority) he had no choice but to go Juco. Backed up by the fact that he didn't have to stay two years.
Jimmy Butler - He had the grades, but went Juco because no one recruited him.
Dwight Buycks - This one still bothers me. Some teams stayed away from Buycks because they didn't think he would get the grades needed to qualify. But he busted his butt and did get the grades. One problem - he didn't have enough core credits. Had an academic adviser looked at everything and said, no, take science not math, take another social studies not another PE class, he would have qualified.
Joe Fulce - Now Joe is a different story - committed to Texas A&M, then followed Buzz to UNO, then Buzz left. In the end, Joe did not qualify, so he went to Juco, then followed Buzz for the third time, coming to MU.

So Joe Fulce is the only one that I would consider a 'traditional Juco'. And guess what? Joe Fulce graduated.

Transfers:
Get used to it, this is today's college basketball. What is the rate, 68% of college freshmen transfer? Something outlandish like that? Yes, MU has had a lot of transfers, but they are no different than any other program that recruits nationally. There is a reason coaches are pushing for a 'no freshmen transfer rule'.

Problems with kids getting into trouble
Yes, this is a concern, no question. It is a concern everywhere, at every school. Athletes and students alike. You can't hold their hands all the time, the best you can do is guide them in the right direction, give them the best advice you can and preach it every day. Yes, MU had two ugly 'alleged' incidents last year, I will not downplay that. Having gotten to know each and every one of these kids, they are good kids that are growing up at a much faster rate than most of us ever did.

Graduation rate:
To me this is the most important component, but at times is out of your control.
Take guys like Jimmy Butler & Lazar Hayward. You are one semester away from graduation. You are projected to be a second round pick in the NBA draft, possibly first, which means millions of dollars. Let me say that one more time, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. The NBA scouts say you need to start training with an NBA trainer right away, and be at Portsmouth and Moody. Then you need to fly around the country and work out for NBA teams that might be interested in you. What do you do? A) Say no and finish classes B) Give it your best shot and try and get drafted? You can always come back and take classes over the summer. If you don't answer B, you are lying.

So, in the examples I have broken down above, does anyone honestly think Buzz is bringing in questionable kids and does not have these guys on the right path?

[Goose85]

That's what worries me about a guy like Larry Williams and a new president like Pilarz, or people that just think JUCO kids are the wrong way to go. Really, would you trade any of these kids for some of those top ranked kids they thumped at UConn?

JUCO's when it comes to athletics is different. I have a nephew who is a baseball player. Went to Indiana for a year (most baseball players don't have schollies and he didn't either). He didn't get a schollie for his soph year (too expensive to stay) so he is at a JUCO this year and already signed for another D1 college for next season and will be on scholarship. Yep, he will be a JUCO kid when he goes to his next school, who in his first year in college had a 4.0 at Indiana. JUCO athletes are not what most think, as IWB pointed out, when it comes to college athletics.